A VoIP Case Study:
Why go with VoIP? It's been proven time and again that VoIP will not just save you money, but also streamline your business communications. The proof? In February 2006, Intel conducted a 6-month experiment, studying the efficiencies of using VoIP for a 50-employee corporate site. The study found the following benefits after switching from normal digital lines to an in-house VoIP system:
Measurable, real-world user productivity benefits
Greater voice messaging accessibility and efficiency
Lower total cost of ownership (TCO)
Immediate and long-term hard cost savings
Reduced expense of telecom administrator moves, adds, and changes (MACs)
Simplified management of servers, systems, endpoints, and network
Greater flexibility of component selection
While Intel employed their own equipment to create an in-house VoIP system, the principals for a hosted VoIP solution are the same, with one crucial difference: you won't need to worry about maintaining the system. Other than adding new numbers, or changing settings via the web-based interface, the hard work is done by your VoIP provider.
Over the long run, VoIP will save you money. In one comparison we did, a 10-line unlimited calling plan through a traditional provider came out to $536.05 per month. Roughly the same plan through a VoIP provider was only $361.40 per month, with far more included features. Although the individual VoIP phones can cost between $60.00 and $200.00, you won't have to rent a PBX trunk system, like you would with traditional office phones. If you already have a number of traditional office phones, you can opt for VoIP adapters which start around $60.00 (and are sometimes included for free). Still even with those charges, within the first year you'll probably have recouped the cost just through savings on monthly fees alone.
The best way to ensure you're getting the best business VoIP value is to compare quotes from a number of different companies. Pricing is often different depending on the number of lines you have. Also, these VoIP companies are constantly providing incentives for new customers. Since these are custom quotes, a dedicated sales person will work with you to custom tailor a solution that's right for your budget and your calling needs.
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